Page 76 of Dire Straights

“The thing at the park… I could try to pretend I didn’t understand what I saw, but… After you left when I went up to make sure you didn’t leave a mess, I found your condom in the trash. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

“… Oh.” Okay, now I wanted to die. But my dad had always been really straightforward about sex and basically everything else, so he didn’t look particularly traumatized or anything. “Sorry about that.”

“I was surprised, but I was fine with it,” he said.

“Manfred! You knew about this and didn’t tell me!?” My mom’s tone was accusatory and not too thrilled about that one.

“Kate,” he addressed her with a weary tone. They were getting along way better recently but I couldn’t expect miracles. “The situation wasn’t exactly familiar territory for me. I Googled what to do, and it said I should wait for him to come out on his own.”

“Google,” she scoffed.

“Can you please not fight about this?” I asked. “I’m bi, whatever. We don’t need to talk about it.”

My mom’s sigh indicated she didn’t agree with my assertion that we didn’t need to talk about it. “Well, I’m glad you’re being safe, at least.”

“Mom. Please,” I groaned, grimacing. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to correct her. They didn’t need to know all my business like that I’d been a virgin before him and he’d only been with one person before me and we’d mutually decided we didn’t necessarily need protection if we didn’t want it. “Anyway, no.I’m not changing my major. I’m still getting my degree in sports medicine.”

“Okay. Just making sure,” he said, sounding relieved.

“Just making sure I’m not acompleteembarrassment, you mean.”

He sighed, laying a hand on my shoulder. “That’s not how I meant it at all. I don’t blame you for quitting a team like this, and it’s okay that you don’t want to join anything else. I just didn’t know how drastic of a change I should expect.”

“That coach needs to be reported,” my mom added angrily. “I’ve got half a mind to stay overnight and march right up to your dean tomorrow morning and give her a piece of my mind.”

“Mom, it’s fine. I’ll take care of it. I’m not a little kid anymore, remember?”

“Okay, honey. But you need to tell me exactly what she says when you talk to her.”

“Fine.”

When my dad noticed Ren hanging around the front of the building, watching us, he waved him over. It was awkward, just because I’d never really stood around talking to my parents with someone next to me that they knew for a fact I’d had sex with. But I would have to get used to that.

When my mom asked Ren what degree he was going for, and he explained about the software engineering thing, my dad seemed a little more appreciative of that fact than the first time he’d heard it. At least I wasn’t dating some philosophy or art major.

My parents offered to take us out to dinner so they could get to know Ren a little more, which we accepted.

“We need to go tell our friends we don’t need rides home,” I explained, and they told us they’d wait for us over by their cars, pointing them out across the lot.

Ren sent a text to Aspen as we made our way over to where he’d parked, alongside Cyprian’s Jeep, letting him know we were coming over to talk. Aspen texted back and said they’d head over, since they were all still inside the building.

“So, um… Hi,” Ren said, reminding me that we hadn’t gotten the chance to talk or be alone for even a second since everything had happened.

“Hi,” I said. “Sorry about… Freaking out and having another meltdown. Are you pissed at me?” I asked. I would have probably died of sheer embarrassment if I’d been in his shoes and the person I was having sex with announced it to a room of strangers.

He shook his head, looking surprised by my question. “No way, Maddy. I know what kind of pressure you were under and how awful it was for you.”

“Yeah, but still…” I trailed off, but the sympathy and complete lack of judgment in his eyes was definitely taking the sting out of the whole thing.

“It’s okay,” he insisted. “But, um… I do have one question.”

“Yeah?” I asked, leaning my hip against the door of Aspen’s car. Ren mirrored my pose, looking straight into my eyes. His gaze was so dark and intense, it sent a shiver up my spine.

“You kind of screamed to everyone about having a boyfriend, so… I guess I can pretty much assume that we’re official, right?”

“Yeah, you could assume that,” I said. “As long as that’s what you want,” I added, suddenly realizing I hadn’t exactly asked if that part was okay.

“Yes,” he answered, quickly and firmly. “Yeah, absolutely. That’s what I want.”

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